Slow burn, ghosting, and AI: the Gen Z dating scene. Young daters are not giving up on finding a relationship that develops slowly over time, like the perfect friends-to-lovers trope. Research conducted by the Kinsey Institute and Match says young daters are staying open to love even if they didn’t feel immediate chemistry—counter to dating app culture which puts looks at the forefront of dating. In fact, the research found 41% of singles were willing to go on a second date with someone even if the first wasn’t super exciting, +6pts more than five years ago. Having said that, ghosting has also increased over time to (unfortunately) become a norm: only 35% of singles said they were willing to let someone know they weren’t interested face-to-face, and only 37% reported being willing to over text. To improve their dating game, 67% of Gen Z singles said they use AI, whether it’s to “improve communication, find better matches, or generate message ideas.” Though the dating scene seems rough, on the upside, more young people say they’re interested in a relationship now than in 2021. (Cosmopolitan)
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